Tom

Hi, I'm looking for some Applause and or Laughter signs - the sort of thing you hang in front of a studio audience so they know how to respond.Ideally they would light up in some way. The "designer" imagined it surrounded in flashing festoon... Required in London w/c 17th Feb. Just on the off chance, does anybody have such a thing sitting in their prop LX store? T

Yes, that’s the brief. Do you have a recommendation? T

Hi I need to get some Black Wool Serge curtains cleaned and re-proofed - and maybe some minor repairs (small rips). Does anyone have recommendations of a company that do this. I've had a quote from Camstage but would like to get a second. In or near London a bonus but if I have to courier them then it doesn't make much difference after that. I do need a swift turn around though. Thanks T

This does look to be the answer, though I now need to work out how it fits around the other uses the iPads need to fulfil. I wonder if it could all be incorporated into an app so that punters can scroll through other content (they are being used as a program for a gala dinner) and then have the videos interrupted that and start without the MultiVid app being manually selected. T

Hi, I have been asked if it is possible to show the same video content on maybe 100 iPads at the same time - triggered to start remotely and, since they will be in relatively close proximity to each other, for the sake of the sound in sync with each other. I'm assuming the content would be pre-loaded rather than streamed just to remove one variable. It would ideally be multiple separate bits of content through out the evening. Is this possible? They will all be in the same large (18mx24m) room. If it was possible to somehow also run the sound through the room PA (again in sync) that would be even better. Thinking about that, if we can solve the first bit that second bit would actually follow relatively easily. Tom

Think of it in simple terms. In a balanced system, the force applied to the fixing of the top pulley is the combination of the load weight (x gravity) plus the force you are applying when you pull down. If you employ some form of mechanical advantage, that reduces the amount of force required to balance the system and therefore the amount of load on the top point.

This website has good explainers on forces in rope systems. https://www.ropebook...-vector-forces/ As has been mentioned, it's important to understand the difference between: Minimum Breaking Load (MBL) - the load the manufacturer has stated it will withstand and above which it will probably fail. Working Load Limit (WLL) - the maximum load the manufacturer allows you to impose. This is in relation to a single component, it includes a safety factor they have determined but generally does not take into account the way you are using it. Some components, like bow shackles for example and petzl climbing pulley, do indicate a WLL for different configurations or angles of use. But in our case the brackets WLL can not take into account the pulley system or dynamic loads. It just states the load you may apply. Safe Working Load (SWL). - this is established by a competent person and applies to the system as a whole. It will consider all the components, how they are being used and what they are rigged from. (Actually you quite often just need to consider the weakest component). So for the bar, you can establish a SWL taking into account the beam it's rigged from, the fixings used and the bar it's self. If there was a permanently installed pulley system you could establish the maximum load it was safe to lift on it, taking into account the additional dynamic forces. This SWL would be different from the SWL of the bar itself. If, as is more likely, you will be using a temporary pulley system, or just a line chucked over the bar, the person doing that needs to have an understanding of the above, or have been instructed in the loads they can lift. And that is why we have Method Statements. Someone else can do the maths. A note on Safety Factors - you should not really be relying on these to to take up any of these incidental forces discussed. Nor to allow for obvious wear and tear. Tom I has referenced the Ringling Brothers Circus hair hanging incident. There were in fact (to my understanding) two main factors. As well as the extremely experienced riggers failure to understand the difference between a MBL and. WLL, the karabiner was also used incorrectly - it had been tri- axelly loaded. This put a side loading on it that it was not designed to withstand. The riggers defence was that he had not loaded it beyond its marked loading limit (I am not sure if he had taken the dynamic loading into account) But it was a combination of the two factors that caused the failure. My point is, the manufacturer may rate a piece of equipment but they have no way of controlling how you use it and it is important that you understand what limitations they have set and the implications of what you are doing. T

Cheeky bump because the deadline is this week and because I can.T

I have always found black molten to be the most light absorbing fabric for masking.

I happened to be in the workshop yesterday when the chap turned up to do the annual inspection of the manual roller shutter door. This seemed to consist of him running it up, spraying a bit of WD40 in the runners, a cursory look at the runners and then lowering it back in. Later , I looked at the tick sheet he’d completed and left with our building department. It included several items to do with bearings and other things that as far as I could tell he’d not looked at. Now I’m not familiar with the inner workings of these things but I figure there must be something clever going on in that big metal box at the top to balance the thing, not to mention some fixings stopping it all coming off the wall in a hurry. So my question to you is, have you been around when your roller shutter was inspected and if so, what do they do? How thorough are they? Do they dismantle and examine the top mechanism? T

http://www.abtt.org.uk/training-and-careers/

The National Centre for Circus Arts is recruiting a Deputy Technical Manager to join the Operations and Technical Department in providing technical, production and circus rigging support to our wide range of users.The role would suit someone from a technical Arts Production, events or similar background who would like to move into venue technical management and to learn more about circus and performer rigging. The National Centre for Circus Arts is one of the world's leading providers of circus arts training. Our diverse range of work includes BA degree-level education in Circus Arts which is supported at either side by a structured training programme for under-18's and professional development opportunities for aspiring and established performers. Adults and young people can enjoy recreational classes or a varied and growing series of performances. We also run highly regarded workshops, away days and team building sessions for the corporate community as well as increasingly successfully hiring our beautiful building for a huge variety of events. We continue to develop our creation and production capabilities and are striving forward in supporting, initiating and creating high quality work that can tour regionally and nationally. Our national role increasingly sees us supporting and mentoring circus artists and organisations across the country as we seek to develop and mature our remarkable art form. The Technical Department provides support and advice to all the programme strands and users. In particular, it maintains a safe working environment ensuring that training spaces and equipment are prepared and safe to use. This varied role within that department covers areas including, but not limited to, training studio preparation, rigging and maintenance of circus equipment, rigging and maintenance of production technical equipment, assisting with policy development, working on productions, projects and events and other activities appropriate to a multi-functioning arts and training centre. The building is open and fully operational seven days a week, up to 12 hours a day and the department works flexible hours to reflect this. Deadline for applications: noon on Thursday 31st October. First Round Interviews will take place on Wednesday 6th November. Please indicate on your covering email if you will not be available on that day. Salary: £25,000 pa Hours: 35 hours per week - scheduled over five or six days per week, generally between 9am and 6.30pm but with a requirement to work occasional evenings and weekends. Holiday: 30 days paid holiday per annum (pro rata), inclusive of eight Statutory Bank Holidays, increasing by one day for each year of service For a full Job Description and to apply please visit our website I am happy to respond to any queries about the role via PM. Tom

Yes. I just found one stashed behind our container. Couldn’t get at it due to all the other stuff in the way so I can’t comment on its condition. Unfortunately I’m not at work for the next two weeks. When do you want it? If it was sooner I could maybe ask someone to dig it out. We are in London, N1 T

Can I run two of these speakers: https://www.studiospares.com/Headphones-and-Speakers/Installation-Speakers/Studiospares-Forte-BG208-Passive-Speaker_248621.htm - Impedance: 8 Ohms - Power rating: 100W RMS (200W Peak) From one side of this amp: https://m.thomann.de/gb/the_tamp_e400.htm 2 x 120 W at 8 ohms (@ 1 kHz, THD <= 0.1%) Ok. The numbers suggest not but sometimes things aren’t as they seem. And what will happen if I try - will it just trip or am I likely to do damage?

PM sent. In the meantime does anyone have any other options?

We have two portable racks of 4 Beta Packs, one with built in distro. Someone thought they got a little tickle off one of them the other day which made me think I should probably get them serviced. Who is best to send them to, or is there anyone whod come and do it on site? We are in London N1.

To be fair while an old building it would conform to current regs would it not ? I would assume that evacuation would be hard because of chunks of roof not the layout. Absolutely, and you have to feel for the FOH staff who will (presumably) not have been trained for this sort of evac. Must have been a very confusing situation for all. My point was that it would seem that members of the public felt as if their evacuation was hindered by the layout of the auditorium and narrowness of the exits. I'm sure the building was up to regs, but obviously these older buildings are harder to evacuate than a modern one. You wouldn't build them like that now. I am concerned that we may see a negative reaction against these older theatres.

"Eye witness" on Radio 4 this morning saying that the auditorium layout, narrow gangways etc made evacuation difficult. Thought that people who were trapped was more to do with this than falling plaster. Are we about to see a panic about evacuation procedures in old West End theatres?